Latvia

Latvia is a small country, with a population of about 2.2m. It has been a Member State of the EU since 2004. The main economic sectors in the Latvian economy are the service industries with 72% of the GDP. The processing and manufacturing industries make up about 10% of the national economy’s GDP. In 2010, Latvia started its slow recovery from the economic crisis of 2008-2009 and economic growth continued to accelerate in 2011. Latvia belongs to a group of countries with modest eco-innovation performance. The country has relatively better scores for environmental outcomes, due to improved water and energy productivity, and for socio-economic outcomes, thanks to higher employment and expansion of eco-industries. In terms of eco-innovativeness, positive results were achieved by two sectors: the wood industry and bio-cosmetics. It is expected that eco-innovations in nanotechnology, as well as greening of service sectors and agriculture will be taking place in the near future. Eco-innovation challenges in Latvia can be associated with a lack of political awareness of innovation in general. However, Latvia has a series of environmental issues to be solved. The most pressing of these are the energy inefficiency of the housing stock, a lack of efficient waste sorting and the need for more mobility solutions.

Natural Medicine

Mádara is one of the first Latvian eco-cosmetic producers. Ingredients for their products are taken mainly from locally grown blossoms and herbs rich in active substances and extracts. Mádara is certified by ECOCERT Greenlife, which proves that certified products contain at least 95% natural ingredients. The company has a wide distribution network and sells its production in more than 25 countries around the world.

Determinants

Most cosmetic products are made with synthesised ingredients that can be harmful to the environment. Use of and demand for natural products in the last decade has increased due to ecological and environmental awareness.

Sustainability effects

Mádara focuses both on production of eco-cosmetics and on eco-innovative activities. The company uses environmentally friendly packaging, energy efficient technologies and is continuously improving its “green image” in Latvia. In 2009 Mádara was awarded as the “Most environmentally friendly company in Latvia”.

GroGlass is a producer of anti-reflective glass coatings designed specifically for the architectural, photovoltaic, horticultural, art framing, and technical markets.
DeterminantsMarket demand for the product is... Read more

The Environment Management Coordination Centre together with specialists from the Latvia University of Agriculture has developed a number of environmentally friendly technical solutions to solve... Read more